Page 20 - Insight Issue 1 _ 2018

Message from the outgoing Welfare,

Support, and Equality Leader

As Rob Venables retires, he writes his
fnal Insight article.
Sgt Rob Venables
Support and Equality Offcer
Merseyside Police Federation

Recent events both locally and nationally have again This is my last update. I retire in April 2018 after 30 years
highlighted the need for the Police service to react as a police offcer in Merseyside. Thank you for the support
positively to unanticipated events. This includes the you have given me over the years whilst i have been your
need to react to how these events impact upon the Merseyside Police Federation Equality Lead and latterly your
health and wellbeing of our offcers. The Merseyside Welfare, Support and Equality Offcer.
Police Federation is working hard to ensure that we Can I also take this opportunity to congratulate Jane
do our best to be an integral part of that support for Arrowsmith who was successful in the election for the
our members, whether that is related to psychological Welfare and Support role and Wendy Sudworth who was
or physiological support successful in the election for the Equality Lead role. I would
also like to thank the other Merseyside reps. The strength
The Merseyside Police Federation does not have the of the Merseyside Police Federation will always be in the
resources of the NHS, but where there is a need we can power of its collective reps to represent our members and
offer services to our subscribing members that complement infuence events. Remember also that the oil in the machine
NHS provision, and in some cases can deliver a unique, more of your Federation is the staff at Green Lane, whether that
timely and better service than that available from the NHS. is dealing with, for example, the smorgasbord of regulations
queries at the front desk, sensitively dealing with critical illness
We now have increased access to psychological and or death grant claims, processing all the Christmas hamper
physiological support at Green Lane in specifcally designed claims, taking bookings for the cottages in the Lake District, or
and designated facilities.The North West Police Benevolent doing the routine admin work that ensures that you get the
Fund (NWPBF) has dramatically increased the quality and service you receive (the list goes on and on).
availability of the services it delivers at St Michael’s, Langho.
Merseyside offcers continue to beneft from NWPBF loans I will move on to pastures new, secure in the knowledge that
and grants. Red Arc continues to provide a high quality service I have done my small part to improve the lot of Merseyside
to our offcers subscribing to the Group Insurance Scheme, Police offcers, often when they are at their lowest ebb. I
both via the telephone and via face to face alternative am confdent that my colleagues in the Merseyside Police
therapies. The Police Treatment Centres in addition to their Federation will continue to build upon this in the future.
excellent physiological support have now expanded their
psychological wellbeing courses to accommodate more
subscribing offcers. Merseyside Police Federation members
continue to be amongst the greatest users of the 24 hour
Welfare Support Programme help line exclusively available
for police offcers and their families.

At these times of Government imposed austerity I know that
money is tight but I would encourage offcers to maintain
their membership of the Police Federation of England
and Wales AND the Merseyside Police Group Insurance
Scheme AND the North West Police Benevolent Fund
AND the Police Treatment Centres. (Recently we were
asked to help an offcer with a serious health issue who had
cancelled everything except their Fed Subscriptions! It is so Sgt Rob Venables
disheartening for us, but more importantly it severely limits Merseyside Police Federation
the support we can deliver). Welfare, Support and Equality Offcer

20 Insight Magazine of Merseyside Police Federation - Issue 1 of 2018 • www.merpolfed.org.uk

Insight Issue 1 _ 2018.indd 20 22/03/2018 08:51